radicals

Question 1

How much power did the monarchy have in 1780?

Answer 1

After the Glorious Revolution (1688), the power of the king diminished

Question 2

What was the electorate like in 1780?

Answer 2

1/8 of adult males could vote

Question 3

Aims of radicals

Answer 3

No all radicals believed in the same degrees of reform but some keys issues were
- Making Parliament more representative in terms of class and population distribution
- Extending the franchise to all men
- Catholic Emancipation
- Freedom of speech and the press

Question 4

What other events were going on around 1780?

Answer 4

• The French Revolution including the Terrors in which members of the aristocracy and monarchy were executed
• The American Revolution in which the British lost control of the 13 US colonies
• The Industrial Revolution

Question 5

Who was Thomas Paine and what was he known for?

Answer 5

• A British philosopher who lived the UK until he fled to the US in the later half of the 18th Century
• Wrote book called The Rights of Man
• believed in equality and liberty

Question 6

Why did people view Paine’s idea as revolutionary?

Answer 6

• He propose tradition did not keep pace with a changing society
• He directly criticised the upper classes
• Proposed a system in which people were the most important

Question 7

Who influenced radicalism in the 1790s

Answer 7

• Major John Cartwright
  Started a campaign for reform in the 1770s. Established the Society for the Promotion of Constitutional Information in 1784
• John Wilkes
  An early radical MP and one of the early campaigners for reform
• John Horne Tooke
  A supporter of Wilkes and a close associate of Cartwright

Question 8

Name three causes of radicalism

Answer 8

1. Economic problems
2. Political dissatisfaction
3. Social issues

Question 9

How did economic problems spark radicalism

Answer 9

• The Corn Laws passed by the government made bread prices artificially high so people had to pay more for bread
• Unemployment rose due to booming industry drying up after the war and solider returning form fighting the Napoleonic Wars
• Government raises taxes (including in food) to pay of debts due to the war with France

Question 10

How did political dissatisfaction spark radicalism

Answer 10

• Under-representation in northern industrial areas
  ^ abolish rotten boroughs
• Wanted secret ballots
• wanted annual parliaments
• wanted male suffrage